This invention is related generally to overhead industrial light fixtures.
A wide variety of overhead industrial light fixtures exist to provide illumination in various factory and warehouse settings. One common use of such fixtures is as aisle lighting. Certain overhead aisle light fixtures need to maintain a specific orientation to the area being illuminated to insure that the most effective lighting of that area is achieved.
Overhead aisle light fixtures are typically suspended from the ceiling in a row centered above the aisle. The elliptical reflectors used on most such aisle light fixtures attain maximum illumination of the aisle below them by having an orientation where the long axis of the reflector is at a 90xc2x0 angle to the direction of the aisle. There are a number of problems, however, with maintaining this most preferred orientation whenever these light fixtures are in operation.
A common manner of suspension for an overhead aisle light fixture is by means of an eye bolt extending down from the ceiling and over the middle of the aisle. A hook attached to the top of the light fixture is then inserted through the opening in the eye bolt. The very nature of this attachment, in combination with breezes from fans operating in the building and other forces acting on the fixture from time to time, will cause periodic rotation of the fixture away from its desired orientation.
In the prior art, one approach taken has been to stabilize such aisle light fixtures through suspension of the fixture from a rigid electrical conduit. This approach can be quite expensive given the cost of both materials and labor to install such a connection. It also makes more cost-prohibitive any thought of later relocating the light fixture due to a redesign of the configuration of the aisle.
Another approach is represented by the xe2x80x9chang-straight clipxe2x80x9d used by Genlyte Thomas on their Wide-Lite(copyright) aisle lighting. The clip is attached to an assembly located beneath a hook extending from the light fixture. As the light fixture hangs from a suspended eye bolt by means of the hook, an upper edge on the clip, when positioned against the surface of the eye bolt, provides resistance against movement of the light fixture away from a given orientation with the aisle. This clip is unable, however, to capture or trap the hook in such a fashion as would lock both it and the eye bolt in a chosen orientation.
This invention addresses these problems and shortcomings with a mechanism that is distinct and significantly less complex than the prior art.
It is an object of the invention to provide a suspension stabilizer for use with overhead industrial lighting fixtures that overcomes some of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a suspension stabilizer for use with overhead industrial lighting fixtures that maintains such fixtures in a chosen orientation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a suspension stabilizer for use with overhead industrial lighting fixtures that is simple in size and shape so as to be pleasing in appearance.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a suspension stabilizer for use with overhead industrial lighting fixtures that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to ship and store, and easy to install and service.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a suspension stabilizer for use with overhead industrial lighting fixtures that insures overhead aisle lighting fixtures are maintained at a preferred orientation wherein the long axis of the reflector is perpendicular to the direction of the aisle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a suspension stabilizer for use with overhead industrial lighting fixtures that locks a hook attached to the overhead industrial lighting fixture to the means by which the lighting fixture is suspended.
How these and other objects are accomplished will become apparent from the following descriptions and the drawings.
This invention is for a suspension stabilizer to be used on an overhead industrial light fixture of the type suspended by means of a hook from a support assembly. The stabilizer body has a first slot and a second slot wherein each slot is sized so that the upward portion of the hook fits into and is secured by the first slot and the downward portion of the hook fits into and is secured by the second slot. After the hook has been positioned into both slots, the stabilizer is attached to the support assembly whereby the light fixture can maintain a particular orientation.
In one preferred embodiment, the stabilizer is used with a type of support assembly wherein the support assembly has an opening through which the hook is inserted. The most common form of such a support assembly would be an eye-bolt. In such an embodiment, the stabilizer is preferably secured to the support assembly with a fastener.
Where the light fixture is suspended by a hook inserted through an opening in the support assembly, it is most preferred that the hook be attached to the light fixture and the support assembly be attached to an overhead ceiling structure. With many models of industrial lighting fixtures, such as aisle lighting fixtures, this hook will usually be attached during assembly and extend from the top of the ballast housing. The stabilizer can also be used where the hook is attached to the top of the lighting fixture after assembly of the fixture such as at the time of installation. In certain other preferred embodiments, a support assembly such as an eye-bolt is attached instead to the light fixture and the hook is attached in turn to some overhead ceiling structure.
A highly preferred embodiment has the stabilizer used with a hook that is flat. Another preferred embodiment is one where the upward and downward portions of the hook have a rectangular cross section.
One other preferred embodiment is where the stabilizer body consists of a rail. Most preferably in such embodiments, the hook is attached to the light fixture. This embodiment of the stabilizer body is used where the form of support assembly is commonly two lengths of cable. In such embodiments, the rail is preferably attached to the support assembly by a fastener at each end of the rail.
The invention further includes a method for stabilizing the orientation of a suspended overhead industrial light fixture. The method of this invention begins with suspending the light fixture by a hook from a support assembly in a desired orientation. The hook will define an upward portion and a downward portion at its point of engagement with the support assembly. A stabilizer body having a first slot and a second slot is then placed over the hook. The first slot of the stabilizer body is positioned so that it engages the upward portion of the hook and likewise the second slot is positioned over the downward portion of the hook to engage it. Afterwards, the stabilizer body is secured to the support assembly.
In certain preferred embodiments of this method, the hook is flat. In other preferred embodiments of this method, the support assembly is an eye-bolt. It is particularly preferred that the securing of the stabilizer body to the support assembly through this method be by engaging the two pieces with a fastener.
In another preferred embodiment of this method, the stabilizer body is a rail. It is most preferred in this embodiment that the rail have two ends so that securing it to the support assembly be by engagement of a fastener at each end.